Introduction

We live in a heteronormative society. Everyone is assumed to be straight and cisgender, and if you do not fall into these categories, you have to "come out" and announce your sexuality to the world. It can be clearly seen that society is unconsciously wired to put straight, cisgender people first.

This fact has never sat right with me. I grew up not knowing what the word "gay" meant. The first time I had heard it was when same-sex marriage was legalized. I was thirteen years old. Not a single person had brought up homosexuality in front of me before that day, which I think is a testament to how taboo the subject is in today's culture. Parents are frightened of even talking about homosexuality in front of their kids, worrying that it will somehow "give them ideas".

Sexual assault was another subject that was rarely talked about until recently. Within the influx of celebrities who are brave enough to step up and state their story, LGBTQ+ voices have been noticeably silent, considering that they face much higher rates of sexual assault then straight, cisgender people.

Some reasons for these higher rates include:

  • The fear of coming out and being rejected as a member of the LGBTQ+ community

  • The fear that sharing a sexual assault story will contribute to the hypersexualized aspect of the LGBTQ+ community

  • The fear that the LGBTQ+ community will look bad if the perpetrator was a member

  • The fear of not being able to find adequate help due to gender identity or sexuality

  • The fear of not being believed because of the misconception that same-sex sexual violence "isn't real"

All of these reasons are founded in fear. This fear is rooted in society's views on homosexuality and transsexuality, causing internalized homophobia and transphobia.

Corrective rape, or the assault of someone with the intent of changing their sexuality or gender, is the ultimate manifestation of this injustice. Corrective rape is a hate crime that buys into the misconception that gender and sexuality are choices and can be controlled. Corrective rape affects bisexual people greatly, because they are seen as "confused" and people assume that they "don't know what they want." Perpetrators think that they can convince someone to "turn straight" through sexual intercourse.

This injustice violates these Catholic Social Teachings:

  • Life and Dignity of the Human Person

    • All humans have a God-given right to life, and each person was created in God's image in likeness, making humankind inherently good. Sexual assault is a direct violation of someone's human dignity. and doing it because the other person is not straight or cisgender is a violation of the equality that God created mankind with.

  • Solidarity

    • All humans are part of God's human family, and we are brothers and sisters in God's eyes. Therefore, we should work together to create a world of peace and equality. Sexual assault and discrimination based on gender or sexuality incite hatred in the world, breaking the family of God apart.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    • Because each person has human dignity, it is our duty as a society to protect and uphold that dignity in others. We all have the responsibility of fighting for the rights of those who cannot fight for themselves. We must fight for LGBTQ+ community members, not fight against them. We must support sexual assault survivors, not cast them aside.